Holyrood (Holyroodhouse) - Royal Palace in Edinburgh. Fourth Walk in Edinburgh (Canongate and Holyrood Palace) Former Palace of the Scottish Kings in Edinburgh
Holyrood palace is the official residence of the British monarchs in Edinburgh. Its name comes from the distorted Haly Ruid - "Holy Cross". So was the abbey of the Augustinian order founded on this site in 1128.
The palace has been the official royal residence for 600 years. 
The construction of the Palace of Holyroodhouse was begun in 1498 by James IV next to the 12th century abbey (the ruins of which have survived to this day). 
Towards the end of the 15th century, the abbey hotel was transformed into the unofficial residence of the kings of Scotland. In the years 1498-1501. Jacob IV built a renaissance palace on the site of the hotel, which, with the growing importance of Edinburgh as the capital of Scotland, became the main royal palace. 
The unicorn has traditionally been included in many historical Scottish coats of arms (often in the form of a shield holder).
The historical emblem of Scotland is a red field with blue arms (claws and tongue), a heraldic lion on a golden field, around it there is a double red border sprouted with lilies. 
In the 16th century, Holyrood Palace was the residence of Mary Stuart, and the interiors of her chambers have been preserved to this day. In the years 1671-1679. the building was rebuilt by order of King Charles II. 
Abandoned for a long time, the palace brought to life King George IV. 
There is a tradition that the queen spends at least one week a year in Holyroodhouse. Here the Queen appoints the first Minister of Scotland and holds royal receptions. 
Around the palace is a wonderful garden. 
Holyrood Abbey of the Augustinian Order, founded in 1128 by the King of Scotland, David I, from the 15th century began to be actively used for coronations and weddings of the royal family. 
In the 18th century. the roof of the main building collapsed, and now the abbey is a well-restored ruins. 
Holyroodhouse Palace has the shape of a square - buildings on the sides of the square perimeter and a courtyard in the middle. 
True, one can notice this only by climbing Salisbury - a mountain towering near the palace. 
Two double towers are attached to the facade of Holyrood Palace, giving Holyrood its unique appearance. 
Holyrood Palace is a mile from Edinburgh Castle. 
Halls of Holyrood Palace are decorated with alabaster stucco moldings, frescoes by Dutch and Italian masters, and tapestries.
Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British Queen in Scotland, where state ceremonies and official receptions are held. The palace is located in the center of the capital on the main street - the Royal Mile, at the other end of which is located.
Myths and Facts
Legend tells how King David hunted in the forest when a deer attacked him. At that moment, a silver cloud appeared in the sky, from which a luminous cross arose. The deer immediately fled, and King David founded the monastery of the Holy Cross in 1128 in confirmation of this miracle.
The monastery flourished and Edinburgh became the capital. The royal family decided to move from the gloomy Edinburgh castle on a rock to a cozy Holyrood, surrounded by a beautiful park. In 1501, James IV built near Holyroodsky Monastery. Only a fragment of the gatehouse from this building has survived to this day.
Mary spent most of her hectic life at Holyrood Palace. Here she married her two husbands, and Rizzio's personal secretary was killed by her jealous husband.
Further reconstruction was carried out in 1633 on the occasion of the coronation of the Scottish prince Charles James I. During the Civil War, the troops of Oliver Cromwell were stationed in the palace, which caused significant damage and led to a fire.
The new king of Scotland, Charles II, initiated a substantial restoration of Holyrood in the 1670s. The palace was completely restored and transformed by the architect William Bruce into a quadrangle. To symmetry the facade, the right tower was added and new Royal apartments were built with richly decorated rooms. Charles II, who had never visited Holyrood Palace, built it as a private residence for his brother James, Duke of York. When the duke ascended the throne, he adapted the royal chapels for the rites of the Order of the Thistle, the oldest knightly order of Scotland.
After the unification of Scotland and England in 1707, the palace lost its main significance and became desolate.
Only at the beginning of the XIX century after the visit of George IV, the fifth king of Great Britain, funds were allocated for the restoration of Holyrood. George IV ordered that the rooms of Queen Mary be “protected from any future changes”, and also ordered the palace to be used during a meeting of the Assembly (this tradition continues today).
In 1920 Holyrood Palace was declared the official residence of the monarchs in Scotland and became the site of regular royal ceremonies and events. During the absence of the royal family, the palace is open to the public.
What to see
The entrance to the palace leads through the Baroque style main staircase of the 17th century with exquisite molding on the ceiling, depicting angels holding Scottish regalia. Italian painting on the walls of the 16th century illustrates scenes from Ovid's Metamorphosis. Next is the richly decorated Royal Dining Room and the Throne Hall, in which George IV was crowned.
Most impressive are Mary Stuart's private chambers. It houses many antiques, valuable paintings and tapestries. The rooms are decorated with rich finishes and decorative details.
In the spacious art gallery, portraits of 110 Scottish monarchs hang on the walls. The gallery also has artifacts from a private collection of the royal family.
The exhibition dedicated to the Order of the Thistle presents a collection of awards awarded to Scots who have held important government posts or made a special contribution.
Near the palace you can see the ruins of an ancient monastery - the first building in Holyrood. The buildings are surrounded by beautiful gardens.
What else to see in Scotland: the cathedral in Edinburgh, castles in Dundee and.
Holyrood Palace is open daily from 9.30 to 18.00 from April to October and until 16.30 from November to March. Closed on December 25-26 and on days of visiting the royal family.
Cost: £ 10.75 (includes an audio tour), students - £ 9.80, children under 17 years old - £ 6.50.
* You can get there by train (station 15 minutes walk), or by buses No. 35, 36 (stop next to the palace).
** To ensure safety, a one-way route is provided inside the complex.
*** It is forbidden to take photographs inside the palace and to bring drinks and food (drinks can be ordered in a cafe in the stable yard).
Official site:
The ancestor of the palace was Holyrood Abbey, which appeared on the map of the city in the 12th century. Several centuries later it was often used for weddings, coronations, and other royal ceremonies, but in the 18th century the building collapsed, and today you can only look at its ruins.
The palace itself grew out of a hotel operating at the abbey. Representatives of royal bloods often stayed within its walls, so in the 15th century it began to be considered their unofficial residence. The construction itself received the view of the palace at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries under Jacob IV. In the second half of the 17th century, the building was significantly rebuilt and acquired its modern look. Over the centuries of its existence, Mary Stuart, King Charles X and several other politicians lived and stayed here.
Today, Holyroodhouse continues to play the role of the royal residence. The Queen of England stops here when she visits. In addition, the building is a significant tourist attraction.
Square in front of the palace Palace Towers
Architecture
The construction was erected in the canons of the Renaissance. Here you can see many typical features of this style of architecture: geometric shapes, horizontal tiers, tower roof superstructures, clear rectangular windows and arched galleries leading to the courtyard.
Courtyard
No less interesting are the interior spaces. The halls are decorated with sculptures and paintings. The Throne Hall deserves special attention, as well as the rooms in which Mary Stuart herself once lived - many elements of their decor have been preserved since those times.
Indoor room
How to get there
The palace is located in the central part next to a large park with the same name Holyrood. On the side of the palace grounds is the Queen’s Drive road, and Canongate leads to the main façade, closer to the building passing into Abbey Strand. To get here by public transport, you can use the 6th bus route, the nearest stop of which is called the Scottish Parliament, or the Skylink 300 route and get off at the Abbeyhill Crescent or Scottish Parliament. You can walk from any of the stops in a couple of minutes.
Holyroodhouse Palace on the map
Excursions
The price of each ticket already includes an audio guide that will help you get acquainted with the palace rooms yourself. You can listen to it in several languages, among which there is Russian. For those who wish to take part in a guided tour, such an opportunity is provided. Sightseeing tours inside Holyroodhouse are held year-round, and a program that includes a tour of the gardens is only available from May to October. Any tour must be booked in advance.
Excursions here are divided into morning and evening. Both last about two hours and involve groups from 25 to 90 people. Morning tours start at 08:30. The cost of participation in them will cost £ 30 ( ~ 2 466 rub. ) per person. Evening tours begin at 18:00 or at 18:30. Their price is £ 35 ( ~ 2 877 rub. ) from each.
All group visits must be coordinated with representatives of the attractions in advance. For groups of 15 people and more, discounts on tickets are provided.
View from above
Hotels nearby
Several hotels can be found within walking distance of the attraction. Some of them are located near Canongate Street, which leads directly to the palace. So, right on it is Canongate Apartment, in which the price per day starts at 6,000 rubles. Another, more budget option, is located a couple of blocks from the previous one and is called Holyrood Aparthotel. Here for one night you will need to pay from 4 800 rubles. A lot of overnight options can be found on the neighboring streets.
Opening hours and entry price
Holyroodhouse accepts guests year-round, and the schedule depends on the time of year. He always begins his work at 09:30. In the winter period from November 1 to March 29, you can enter the structure until 15:15, and inspect it - until 16:30. With the arrival of heat, the working day increases, and entering the building becomes possible until 16:30, and it is allowed to be in the palace until 18:00. Holyroodhouse closes during the holidays, during the Queen’s stay in it, and also sometimes due to bad weather conditions. You can specify the operating mode at.
Tickets are divided into two types: only for entering the Holyroodhouse or for visiting the Royal Gallery as well. In the first case, a standard adult ticket will cost £ 14 ( ~ 1 151 rub. )students and seniors walk for 12.7 pounds ( ~ 1 044 rub. )children from 5 to 17 years old - for 8.1 pounds ( ~ 666 rub. )and visitors under 5 years old are free. Tickets for visiting both the palace and the galleries will cost 17.5 ( ~ 1 438 rub. ), 16 (~ 1 315 rub. ) and 10 pounds sterling ( ~ 822 rub. ) respectively.
Holyrood Palace is an old castle and the official residence of British kings, located in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Holyrood Palace
Holyrood Castle originates from the Holy Cross Abbey Hotel (Holyrood), founded in the XII century. At the end of the 15th century, Jacob IV built a Renaissance palace on the site of the hotel, several decades later becoming the royal residence during the reign of Mary Stuart. After the unification of England and Scotland under one crown, Holyrood became the residence of the English monarchs in Scotland. In the second half of the XVII century, the palace was rebuilt in the Baroque style by the architect William Bruce and in this form has survived to this day. Now Holyrood Castle in Edinburgh is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, used for various ceremonies, for example, the appointment of the first Minister of Scotland and the knighting of the Order of the Thistle, the oldest order of Scotland.
Holyrood was the home of prominent figures of its time. The castle carefully preserved the chambers of the frantic Mary Stuart, who during her life managed to be the Queen of France and Scotland and was a contender for the English throne. In the 19th century, Holyrood became the place in which the last French king from the Bourbon dynasty, Charles X, was in exile.
The palace is located in the center of Edinburgh on the main street of the city, which is called the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Train Station is 1 km away, so a leisurely walk to the palace takes no more than 15 minutes. From other parts of Edinburgh to Holyrood, you can take buses of the 35th and 36th routes.
Most of the tourists in the castle are attracted by the chambers of Queen Mary Stuart, who were protected from any changes since the 19th century by order of King George IV. The chambers are decorated with a variety of tapestries, antiques and paintings.
Other halls of the palace that are of great interest to visitors:
- A large gallery, the walls of which are decorated with portraits of 110 Scottish kings, including legendary ones.
- The throne room, which hosts meetings of members of the Order of the Thistle and knighting.
- Exposition dedicated to the history of the order and its members.
- Royal Apartments Elizabeth II Stays at.
- The royal dining room.
All the halls of the palace are richly decorated, the Main staircase of the 17th century and the walls decorated with paintings in the style of the Italian Renaissance stand out.
Holyrood Park and Abbey
The royal residence is surrounded by the eponymous park, covering an area of \u200b\u200b260 hectares. Natural attractions of the park are represented by basalt cliffs, small lakes and an extinct volcano called the Throne of Arthur. At the top of the volcano at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level is the highest point of the Scottish capital. On the spurs of the Throne of Arthur are the basalt pillars of the Samson and Salisbury Ribs about 50 meters high, which have long been used by climbers.
Tourists can also visit the abbey, which began the glorious history of Holyrood. Now, from the once outstanding building, there are only picturesque ruins that remain in this form for more than 250 years after the collapse of the roof during a hurricane. Also away from the main complex is the modest building of the bathhouse of Queen Mary, built in the 16th century.
Schedule and prices
Opening hours of the palace-museum:
- 09:30 - 18:00 (April - October);
- 09:30 - 16:30 (November - March).
Holyrood Castle is closed on Christmas Day and during visits to the Queen’s Castle of Great Britain. According to established tradition, the head of the kingdom should spend at least one week a year here (late June - early July).
Cost of visit:
- GBP 12.50 per adult ticket
- 11.40 GBP for students and senior citizens;
- 7.50 GBP is a ticket for students and disabled people, for children under 5 years old admission is free.
In the summer, tourists for the same price can enjoy a full tour with an audio guide through the palace complex, park and Holyrood Abbey, during which the guide introduces visitors to the stories of the famous castle and its inhabitants.
Address: Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 131 556 5100
We went to Holyrood Park. Once upon a time there were royal hunting grounds on the site of the park. The name of the place "Holy Cross" is also associated with hunting. King of Scotland David I was knocked down by a deer from a horse during a hunt. The dangerous animal had already pointed its horns at the defenseless king, but then a luminous cross miraculously appeared between the deer horns, which frightened off the devil artiodactyl. Later, the kings surrounded the entire park with a stone wall so that commoners could not interfere with the hunt. Now access to Holyrood is free, which we took advantage of.
As you know, I am not a big fan of parks. Usually I leave them at the very end of the walk and then if there is enough time. But for Holyrood Park, I made an exception. Still, the nature of Scotland is the main attraction of the country, and here is a wonderful chance to get to know it without leaving the city. From Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Park, the distance is less than 2 km, and from the Royal Palace just a stone's throw. The word park evokes thoughts of a boring place with an alley, a pond with swans and some kind of arbor. Not at all! Holyrood Park includes harsh rocks, mountain landscapes, and even the crater of a real, albeit extinct volcano.
Map of Edinburgh attractions.
In previous stories about Edinburgh, I have repeatedly shown views of the Salisbury Rocks. Salisbury Craggs is a ridge of 46-meter-high cliffs on top of the spur of the Throne of Arthur that towers west of Holyrood Park. Under the cliffs is a large and steep rocky slope, falling to the bottom of Holyrood Park with a track known as the Radical Road that runs between them. This path got its name after it was paved after the radical (radicals - supporters of the French Revolution) war of 1820 using the labor of unemployed weavers from the west of Scotland.
The name of Salisbury is well known to every resident of the Russian Federation thanks to a recent espionage story. But this is not the case with Edinburgh. Salisbury here is not entirely clear where it came from, someone believes that in honor of Count Salisbury, someone translates it as "a deserted or dry place." The ancient name in Gaelic meant "Rock of the Dead."
So, we start the climb. We go around the fancy Scottish Parliament building.
Advocates of Scottish independence camped next to him. However, the referendum showed that the Scots like to live with the British in the same country.
The road of radicals. The Scottish radical uprising occurred as a result of social unrest on the part of the workers. They considered the unfair working and living conditions created by the government. On Monday, April 3, 1820, a national strike began in Glasgow, during which protest leaders across the country were arrested and some were executed or taken to prison. Following King George IV's visit to the city, author Sir Walter Scott suggested that unemployed weavers could be used to build a convenient walking path around the route. Thus, they can be distracted from unrest and give them a little money.
Edinburgh's Radical Road offers great views. As an added bonus for those who are afraid of heights, the road is safer for animals or small children, because here it is not as high as on Salisbury Rocks.
Views are really good. Again, Parliament, and in the background the Nelson Monument (spyglass) and the National Monument on Mount Calton Hill.
And here, in the foreground, my other omission in Edinburgh is the very steep center of Our Dynamic Earth. I love, as a rule in Europe they are great made and interesting for any age.
As Maxim Gorky wrote: "My grandmother and I went further and further into the forest."
Luda and Victor send us greetings from Russia.
The road is paved away from the cliffs, because something heavy can also fly over the head.
I am absolutely indifferent to geology, but if you are an amateur, it will be interesting. Several times in a walk in the park came across tablets with a description of the breed, which comes to the surface and its approximate age.
Diman is my travel companion in 2014-2016. The first time we went together at. In fact, I was in a relationship then, but by that time I realized that my ex and I were incompatible in terms of travel. So, I confess, I was even delighted when she dulled with work and was unable to go. A replacement was found in the face of my old friend. As a result, he was so impressed with my approach to travel that after this spontaneous became my frequent travel companion for the next two years.
Nameplate: "Climbing the rocks is prohibited."
The coolest part of Holyrood Park is the Throne of Arthur. Arthur's Seat Throne is the highest point in the park (250.5 m). When it was a volcano (340 million years ago), the largest of the three within Edinburgh. The other two are Calton Hill and the hill on which Edinburgh Castle stands.
This mountain with two peaks from some angles resembles a lying lion and is one of the main contenders for the place where the legendary Camelot of King Arthur was located. They say that once the hill of Throne of Arthur was surrounded by water and was a magical island called Avallon. And at its top was the legendary castle of Camelot.
According to legend, a mortally wounded Arthur was brought here, and he still lives somewhere there, waiting for the hour when he can again enter our world and show his valor and honor. And so that no one would disturb the king, Merlin hid the magic Avallon from human eyes, leaving people a wonderful hill called Arthur's Throne.
In a good way, it would be necessary to climb the Throne of Arthur, since the rise there is quite simple, but we decided to confine ourselves to the cliffs of Salisbury.
No wonder the Holyrood park was once a hunting ground. Until now, game runs around here. Here you have a pheasant, for example.
The middle of June, and in some places the colors are almost autumnal. The comments suggested that it was a gorse.
Some more views of the Old Town.
And to Holyrood Palace.
I pay attention again that the trip was in mid-June. As you can see, my friend is dressed quite warmly. Moreover, on this day we had to shop a little, because by 10 in rain and wind, we clearly did not expect. So Diman bought a stupid warm cap and a tartan scarf. Going to Scotland - dress to the maximum.
And I stole a souvenir sweatshirt. In my opinion, my only photo for the whole trip.
Guess which way we began to descend?
Well, what do you think about Holyrood Park? In my opinion - a must-see place in Edinburgh, even if you have to sacrifice something else. This despite the fact that we did not have time to climb the Throne of Arthur, did not reach the picturesque ruins of the abbey and the local sucker, that is, the lake.
This is my last story about Edinburgh and the UK. In general, I really liked Edinburgh, with the reservation that it is interesting here in terms of tourism. For a long stay, it's still too cold and gloomy in my opinion. Perhaps it was in Edinburgh that I felt the most acute shortage of time on this trip. Two days to the capital of Scotland are extremely few. So I do not pretend to be a full report on the city. I did not even have time to get around all the sights, not to mention visiting museums, churches and interesting places like the dead end of Mary King. But, I hope, my brief overview of the city will allow you to form an opinion about it in preparation or to remind you of your past pleasant trip.
In the next series, we will fly across the North Strait and find ourselves on the Emerald Isle. I think everyone guessed what kind of country it was, so see you in Dublin.
